Easter Weekend 2013

We had a great weekend!  Some fun times and a few milestones along the way.  Cooper is growing into a little man and it is really fun to hang out with him these days.  Just waiting for what will come out of his mouth next is entertainment enough. Can't say I have always felt this way!

Milestone #1:  Riding his yellow Mini-Cooper around the neighborhood!  

Coop has been hesitant to give his car a try ever since the first enthusiastic spin he took when receiving it in Feb. for his 3rd birthday.  I don't think we'll have that problem anymore - he had a blast riding it around the neighborhood this weekend.

Milestone #2: Ordering off the menu at a restaurant!

As mentioned in my previous post, food is a big challenge for us.  So whenever we eat out, that always means packing food for Cooper to eat because there is never a guarantee he will eat anything the restaurant offers.  He has even refused foods that he likes at a restaurant just because they look different from how they were prepared at home. Since he has tried so many new foods in the past month, we wanted to do a trial run for breakfast at Cracker Barrel.  We wanted him to feel like it was a special treat to order off the menu and eat like the adults.  Thankfully, it was a success.  He picked pancakes and yogurt parfait off the kid's menu and ate EVERY LAST BITE.  In fact, Jason and I finished our meals looooong before he was done.  He ate until he tummy was literally bulging.

We also worked in some good family fun, including a trip to the zoo on Saturday.  It was a gorgeous day and so nice to get some fresh air.  Cooper likes the monkeys the best. He specifically requested to see the bats this time (ugh).  And this trip included his first time riding the Sky Ride.  Thankfully he liked it - no mid-air panic attacks.

Finally, we enjoyed a good (rainy) Easter by getting a visit from the Easter Bunny, going to church, and having family over for lunch.  Unfortunately we didn't get many pics amidst the chaos. And no holiday is complete without a tantrum (or two), but all in all a good one.

Hope everyone had a great weekend!

Food for thought

I think every kid (heck, everyone) has that "thing" that gives them trouble.  That causes stress.  That just isn't easy.  For us, it has been food since Cooper was about 9 months old. As a baby, he ate every baby food imaginable.  But the transition to table food was a rough one.  He had gagging issues, and just wasn't interested in eating what we were eating. At 20 months old, we finally said enough to baby food.  And since then, his diet has basically consisted of snack foods, cereal, fruit, and yogurt.  Anything else went untouched.

Other moms might be worried about organic or non-organic?  Or too many chicken nuggets and mac & cheese? I'm worried that my child hasn't eaten a meat or vegetable for over a year.  I would have been thrilled if he would just eat a silly chicken nugget!! We tried every trick in the book and worked with countless professionals with no results.

Three weeks ago, we began a new program with the help of a family member. The basic idea is that at each meal and snack, he must eat a bite from Plate A (which has non-accepted foods) before eating from Plate B (which has accepted foods).   And we have hope!  In 3 weeks, he has tried 20+ new foods, and even likes a good number of them. For the first time, he has been willing to try bacon, PB&J, french toast, chicken nuggets, tomatoes, hot dogs, peas, etc.  We have a looooong way to go, but are thrilled with his progress.

We are thankful for Cooper's overall health, and know this is not a big problem compared to many others' struggles.  But it has been a challenge for our family and an important issue in Cooper's life.  Has anyone else experienced something similar? I hear stories all the time but don't know anyone personally who can relate.  Or are you dealing with your own "thing" that seems so basic to others but is a struggle for your family?  Let's talk!

Is the moon broke?

I picked Cooper up after work today.  With daylight saving time and the recent dreary weather, it felt weird that there was so much sunlight at 6pm.  Cooper seemed confused, like I was picking him up early.  So like any 3-year-old would, he asked "Mommy, is the moon broke?"